HBA-MPM S.B. 510 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 510
By: Shapleigh
Public Education
5/12/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The 75th Texas Legislature passed legislation which mandates that public
institutions of higher education provide automatic undergraduate admission
to students who graduate in the top ten percent of their high school class.
Those students who do not qualify for automatic admission may be considered
under other criteria, such as their academic record, socioeconomic status,
and family background.  Not all students are aware that they may be
considered for automatic admission to an institution of higher education
based on this other criteria. 

S.B. 510 requires the board of trustees of a school district to require
each high school in that district to post appropriate signs in each
counselor's office and each administrative office at the school regarding
the automatic college admission law. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 28, Education Code, by adding
Section 28.026, as follows: 

Sec. 28.026.  NOTICE OF AUTOMATIC COLLEGE ADMISSION.  Requires the board of
trustees of a school district to require each high school in the district
to post appropriate signs in each counselor's office and administrative
office indicating the substance of Section 51.803 (Automatic Admission: All
Institutions), Education Code, regarding automatic college admission.
Requires the school district, in order to assist in the dissemination of
this information, to require certain high school personnel be provided with
certain information as well as to require them to explain this information
to eligible students, and to provide each eligible senior student under
Section 51.803 with written notification of the student's eligibility with
a detailed explanation of the substance of Section 51.803 at the
commencement of a class's senior year. 

Section 51.803 requires each general academic teaching institution to admit
an applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate student
if the applicant graduated in one of the two school years preceding the
academic year for which the applicant is applying for admission from a
public or private high school in this state accredited by a generally
recognized accrediting organization with a grade point average in the top
10 percent of the student's high school graduating class.  The section
further sets forth qualification criteria for an applicant, the procedure
by which the applicant is considered by the institution, and certain
enrichment courses and orientation programs the applicant may be required
to complete.  

SECTION 2.  Makes this Act applicable beginning with the 1999-2000 school
year. 

SECTION 3.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.